Coaching entrepreneurs to make a difference

Social Entrepreneurs, Social Enterprises and Mission-Driven Business Owners:Entrepreneurs who make a difference

Do you want to make a difference in the world with your business? Is your enterprise focused on a social agenda or personal mission? Would you like to make your living by making the world a better place? You can do well at doing good, and I can help.

Since 1992, I've been coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs engaged in social missions. Social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, and social business are concepts that have gained momentum in recent years as answers to social problems and scarce resources. If the enterprise or project you own, manage, or dream of building follows one of the models below, I may be able to assist you.

Social Entrepreneur - An individual who uses entrepreneurial principles to create positive social change. Social entrepreneurs launch innovative or pattern-breaking ventures in either the nonprofit or for-profit sector, and create replicable systems that they or others can use to expand their impact. My social entrepreneur clients are typically entrepreneurs in the classic sense; their ventures generate income through the sale of products and services.

Social Enterprise - An income-earning venture with a social agenda that holds a higher priority than maximizing profits. Social enterprises can be nonprofit organizations that derive a substantial portion of their income from selling products and services, businesses that dedicate a significant portion of their profits to social causes, or projects that commit profits to social purposes which are operated by an otherwise traditional business or nonprofit. My social enterprise clients are typically businesses, or are led by entrepreneurs.

Social Business - A for-profit business established for the primary purpose of fulfilling a social mission. Social businesses either dedicate a significant portion of profits to a social cause, or the business operations themselves address a social issue. The key difference between a social business and a traditional business is its reason for existence. A social business is formed primarily to solve a social problem rather than to generate income for its owners, even though the business may be quite profitable.

Entrepreneur Philanthropist - An entrepreneur who gives back to his or her community by engaging in a philanthropic venture. This may be a foundation, nonprofit organization, volunteer effort, or advocacy group. My philanthropist clients are typically people who go beyond donating money or volunteer time; they are launching social ventures of their own.

Professional Activist/Educator - An individual working to educate, motivate, and inspire others to action about practical solutions to social issues. He or she earns a living at writing, teaching, speaking, artistic works, or organizing to communicate, advocate for, and implement these ideas.

Mission-Driven Entrepreneur - An entrepreneur using any of the models above to fulfull a personal mission or calling that also benefits others. Mission-driven entrepreneurs have chosen business or self-employment as a vehicle for earning a purposeful livelihood.

What all these models have in common is that they make use of business principles and entrepreneurial skills to address social issues. They use the spirit, creativity, and drive of motivated entrepreneurs to make a positive difference in the world.

If these principles describe you and your venture, I'd like to help you succeed. Please visit my free resources for social entrepreneurs or find out more about workshops or coaching. Together, we can build enterprises that make a difference.